Frozen Gladiators
by SnowQueenElsaFan
Summary: Elsa is a ruthless gladiator, having killed many opponents without a second thought, earning her the nickname "Ice Queen", but everything is about to change when she's forced to fight against a scared young woman named Anna whose brand new to being a gladiator. Elsanna gladiator AU. Rated M for violence/gore, murders, etc.
1. Kill or Be Killed

A broad-shoulder man with empty eyes was shoving a red-headed young woman, no more than 18 years of age, just barely an adult, forward violently with a cattle prod. The young woman flinched in pain as she was led towards her cell and finally shoved in. The man walked away silently, coldly, as the red-head silently sobbed to herself, filled with fear and uncertainty. "Don't worry. It's hard for everyone at first, but eventually your will to survive will kick in," she heard a female voice say. She looked into the cell next to hers and saw a blonde haired woman with her hair in a French braid.

"I'm Princess Anna. Well, just Anna now I guess since I was captured from my homeland and made the Romans' slave. Who are you?", the pig-tailed red-head answered the blonde.

"I'm formerly Queen Elsa, now just Elsa, although everyone here calls me the Ice Queen," the blonde responded.

"Why do they call you the Ice Queen?"

"Because I've killed so many people I can't even count and no longer show any emotion when I kill. I'm ruthless," Elsa answered matter-of-factly, with no emotion in her voice.

"You've killed people?", Anna choked out, her voice filled with confusion and shock.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not heartless, Anna. I don't kill people because I want to or I enjoy it. I kill them because I have to and I have no choice. As a gladiator, it's kill or be killed. This world is cruel and you have to learn how to fight and survive in it," the Ice Queen tried justifying herself.

"I'm scared, Elsa," the red-head confessed to the slightly older woman.

"This will be your first fight as a gladiator, won't it? You've never kill anyone before, have you?", the blonde questioned her.

"No. They just captured me yesterday and brought me back here today. I've never had to fight before in my life. I can't kill another human being, but I don't want to die either. I don't know what I'm going to do. These gladiator fights are fights to the death, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are," Elsa answered sadly.

"I just wish I could go back home to my family and everything would be alright again," Anna sobbed loudly, breaking the Ice Queen's heart.

"I wish I could tell you it's going to be ok, Anna, but I'm not going to lie to you," the Ice Queen sighed.

Suddenly, their captor was back. Anna flinched in the back of her cell, trying to make herself as small as possible, hoping, willing, that if she tried hard enough she would either turn invisible or dissolve into nothingness. The man wasn't interested in her though and at first she felt relieved until she saw him head to Elsa's cell.

The man roughly pulled Elsa out of the cell and led her out of the dungeons. The roar of the crowd was deafening as Elsa was lead into the arena. A sword was placed in her hand and she held her breathe, waiting for her opponent, her next victim, to show their face. A reddish-brown haired young man with side-burns appeared on the other end of the ring and a sword was placed in his hand as well. The emperor watched from the balcony high above the coliseum as the announcer on the side-lines began.

"Citizens, we now present to you, Dark Prince vs Ice Queen.

"It's Prince Hans," the side-burned guy scoffed concededly at the announcer's nickname for him.

"The Dark Prince and the Ice Queen are the current reigning champions, the Dark Prince having defeated 50 opponents, the Ice Queen having defeated 45. It's going to a close match folks," the announcer continued.

"Let the fight began!", he then shouted loudly.

With that, the Ice Queen lunged for the Dark Prince with her sword, but he dodged quickly out of the way and struck her arm with his sword, luckily only grazing it. She spun around quickly and stabbed him in the shoulder. Hans clenched his teeth in pain as he pulled the sword out of his impaled shoulder and continued to fight, swinging the sword towards Elsa's neck with his good arm, attempting to be-head her. Elsa caught the sword before it struck her and pulled it violently out of his hands. She brought it down on his wrist, slicing his hand clean off. He shouted in pain, but then quickly regained his composure, picking up the other sword with his remaining hand and trying to swing it at the Ice Queen despite being weak from blood loss. After several futile attempts, he collapsed on the ground and Elsa was upon him, pinning him down, her sword raised above his chest, ready to strike.

"Please don't kill me," the man pleaded, the sword still held in his good hand.

"I have to. One of us has to die and not's going to be me. That's just the way this world works," the Ice Queen answered coldly as she plunged the sword into the Dark Prince's chest.

Blood spurted out from his mouth as he coughed, his eyes rolled back in his head and became empty, and his body convulsed. When he was finally still, Elsa removed her bloody sword from her impaled opponent's chest. The crowd cheered even louder than before.

"The victor is the Ice Queen!", the announcer shouted.

Elsa took a bow before the sword was taken away from her and she was lead back into her cell next to Anna. The red-head glanced over at her. "You won?", she questioned the blonde, her voice showing her mixed emotions, glad that Elsa was ok but dreading the fact that it meant that Elsa had killed another person.

"Yes," the blonde answered emotionlessly.

"Did….did….you kill someone again?", Anna asked in feigned ignorance even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes. He begged me not to kill him, but I know his type. The moment I showed him mercy, he would of turned and stabbed me, killing me instead of him. I did what I had to in order to survive," Elsa said coldly, making Anna flinch.

There was silence between the two women for the rest of the night.


	2. Live and Let Live

Anna screamed in panic as she awoke to someone grabbing her. It was their captor taking her out of her cell. "It'll be ok, Anna. Remember what I taught you about the will to survive. All that matters is protecting yourself. Show your opponent no mercy," the Ice Queen tried to reassure her as Anna was led out into the arena. The red-head shook violently, her knees nearly giving out, as the crowd cheered in the distance. She held her breathe, waiting to face her opponent, waiting for imminent death. Her eyes filled with shock as her opponent entered the ring.

"Elsa?", she gasped.

"Anna?" Elsa gasped.

Their shock didn't last long as a sword was placed in each of their hands.

"And now, presenting the Ice Queen vs the Fire Princess. The cold-hearted Ice Queen has killed 46 opponents. Does the fiery red-headed newcomer even stand a chance with no opponents under her belt? Let the fight begin!"

"Elsa, please, I'm scared. I don't want to hurt you," Anna pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I don't want to either, but we have to fight. That's the way this works," Elsa apologized sadly as she lunged at Anna with her sword.

Anna drew her sword up and blocked Elsa's attack, shoving the blonde back onto the ground. Anna stood there trembling, unable to move, allowing Elsa enough time to stand back up on her feet. She lunged at Anna again, this time successfully landing a blow on Anna's wrist. It was a light blow, not enough to hack off her hand, just enough to graze her and cause a shallow bleeding wound. Elsa could've struck harder easily, but she, unlike with Hans, was reluctant to hurt Anna. Anna gasped in pain as she held her wrist.

"Elsa, please, we don't have to do this," she begged.

"I'm sorry, but we have to, Anna," Elsa answered, some sadness cracking through in her voice despite the cold tone she was using.

The Ice Queen lunged for her opponent, the Fire Princess swinging her sword in self-defense and lightly grazing the blonde's cheek, just enough to make a small trickle of blood.

"Oh God, Elsa, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you," Anna cried in panic, tears of fear and regret welling up in her eyes.

The sight was heart-breaking to Elsa, but she held back her own tears. She couldn't go too soft on Anna. The girl would get herself killed if she didn't learn how to fight. Elsa needed to make her learn before an opponent that really wanted to hurt her finished her off, even if it meant that Elsa had to let herself be finished off by Anna.

"Don't cry, Anna. You did what you had to. Strike me again before I strike you. Don't let your guard down," Elsa warned as lunged at Anna again, this time heading for the red-head's shoulder with her sword. Anna dodged out of the way quickly and then pummeled into Elsa with her body, knocking the blonde on the ground. She stood over her with the sword, bringing it down towards the blonde's head.

"Good job, Anna. Do it," Elsa smiled sadly, tears welling in her eyes.

"I…I can't. I can't hurt you, Elsa," Anna began sobbing as she threw her sword away instead of striking.

"Anna," Elsa sighed sadly as she pushed the red head to the ground, bringing her sword towards the younger girl's chest.

"I really wish you would've finished me, so I wouldn't have to kill you," Elsa sighed regretfully.

"Elsa, please, please don't kill me. I don't want to die. I'm scared," Anna pleaded.

Elsa stopped the sword mid-way in the air as Anna continued.

"I couldn't hurt you because you're my friend, Elsa. You're the only thing that's kept me going in this cruel hell, that's given me the strength to carry on, the only person whose been nice and kind to me. I thought you felt the same about me?"

"Gladiators don't have the luxury of friends, Anna," Elsa warned as she brought the sword down closer to Anna's chest.

"Please! No!", Anna screamed out in desperation, covering her chest with her hands, closing her eyes, and waiting for death, betrayal.

It never came. She heard the clanking thud of metal falling to the ground, the disgruntled booing of the crowd, and then felt herself being wrapped up in a warm embrace. She opened her eyes to find Elsa holding her gently in her arms, looking down at her sadly, crying. Elsa's tears fell on Anna's cheeks, joining her own.

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you either. I know it sounds crazy cause we just met but I love you and I don't' want to hurt you," Elsa confessed.

Anna looked up at the sobbing blonde holding her gently in her arms in disbelief and relief.

"I love you too, Elsa, but I'm still scared," Anna admitted nervously.

"Shhh. You're okay, Anna. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe with me," Elsa whispered soothingly as she began rocking the red-head gently in her arms.

Anna broke out into wordless sobbing, letting out stress, relief, fear, all at once.

"You're gonna be okay, Anna. Everything's gonna be ok. Shhh. Don't cry anymore. Okay? I'll protect you. I've got you. You're safe," Elsa continued soothing the frightened girl.

Anna began to relax in Elsa's arms, calming down as she let her head rest in the older girl's lap. The peace was short lived, however, as their captor roughly ripped Anna out from Elsa's arms.

"Anna!", Elsa screamed in panic.

"Elsa, help me!", Anna screamed back as she was lead back into the dungeons.

Several minutes later, the captor returned to lead Elsa into the dungeons. The captor left.

"Is he gone? What's going to happen to us now?", Anna asked Elsa frantically.

"No. He'll be back. He went to get something to punish us with." 

"Punish?", Anna choked out.

"Yes, I've seen it before. Any gladiators that refuse to fight are beaten and tortured as punishment," Elsa warned sadly.

"Beaten and tortured?", Anna gasped in a mix of shock and fright.

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll do whatever I can to make sure you don't get hurt too bad even if it means I have to take the brunt of the abuse," Elsa promised.

"Elsa, you'd do that for me? But, wait I can't let you get hurt because of me," Anna protested.

"I'd do anything for you, Anna," Elsa promised softly.

Their captor returned with a whip in one hand and an iron hot cattle brand in the other as he prepared to open Anna's cell.


	3. To Protect You

Anna cringed in the corner of her cell as the man entered, holding the whip out, posed for a strike. She was shivering and sobbing with fright. "Please, no, please don't hurt me! I'm sorry!", she pleaded.

"Begging won't do you any good, Anna. None of our captors have an ounce of mercy," Elsa sighed sadly.

"I'm scared, Elsa. Help me!", Anna sobbed.

"Shhh. Concentrate on my voice, Anna. Everything's going to be ok. We'll get through this together," her cell neighbor tried to reassure her.

The guard removed Anna's shirt, making her blush from embarrassment, but it didn't last long because he brought the whip down fiercely on her bare back, causing her to scream out in pain. The sound was heart-breaking to the Ice Queen.

"It's ok, Anna. Everything's going to be ok. It'll be over soon," Elsa tried to soothe her as Anna clenched her teeth through the pain as more and more lashes were added on her back.

Suddenly, she let out a particularly loud and pained screamed as the cattle brand was placed on her back, singeing it. Elsa had had enough. She didn't know if it would work or not, but she was willing to try anything for Anna.

"Please stop. I'll take both her punishment and mine. This entire thing is my fault. I'm the one who didn't finish her off in the battle, so it's me that deserves to be punished, not her," Elsa pleaded with the guard.

Although the guard didn't say a word in response, to her relief, he left Anna's cell and headed into Elsa's own, whip and cattle brand in hand. He removed Elsa's shirt and began whipping her back, much harder than he had whipped Anna's, as if he was purposely trying to compensate for not getting to whip two people, acting like he was hitting two people at once. Elsa cried out in pain at the burns from the severe lashes.

"Elsa, no! Why? Why would you take my punishment?", Anna wailed, distraught.

"To….protect….you," Elsa managed to gasp out between her beatings.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa," Anna sobbed as she closed her eyes and covered her ears, unable to take hearing anymore of Elsa's heartbreaking screams or watch her be tortured.

The guard continued his punishment, burning Elsa with the cattle brand over every whip mark more than once until her back was filled with raw, burning, bleeding wounds. Although she tried not to, the pain was too great, and she cried out in agony the whole time until she fainted. Satisfied, the guard left the two women. Anna cautiously removed her hands for her ears first and when all was silent, she opened her eyes.

"Elsa! Oh, my God! Elsa! Please be alive!," she gasped, looking at her unconscious cell neighbor and the gruesome damage on her back. Anna didn't know how long she was crying for until a soft and weak-sounding voice interrupted her.

"Hey, don't cry, Anna. I'm ok. See? You're ok too. Everything's ok," Elsa breathed out of strained vocal cords.

"Elsa, your back!"

"….will heal," Elsa finished for Anna.

"But it's all my fault!", the red-head wailed.

"That's not true. This is as much my fault as it is yours. I'm the one who refused to kill you," Elsa argued sternly.

"Why did you do it, Elsa?", Anna asked in confusion.

"Do what?", Elsa answered tiredly.

"Spare my life when I begged you and then took my beating for me because of it," Anna explained.

"I don't know. Maybe it was because I love you. Or maybe it was just because you remind me of myself when I was first brought into this hell, so young, innocent, and afraid back then. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because I wanted to return the favor you've given to me."

"I haven't given you anything Elsa," Anna argued, startled.

"Yes. You have. You've given me hope. Before you came along, I was convinced that I wasn't human anymore, that the Romans had made me into a monster, succeeding in making me into their own personal heartless killing machine. You helped me realize that maybe there's some humanity left in me after all and that maybe I'm not entirely a monster. You gave me back my humanity, Anna, and for that, I'm forever grateful. There's no price I wouldn't pay as thanks in return for this priceless gift you've given me," Elsa confessed.

"Elsa, you're not a monster! Why would you think that? You've only killed because you had no choice and were forced to. You spared me! A monster wouldn't spare anyone!", Anna argued.

"But that's the thing, Anna. Before you, I never would've spared anyone," Elsa countered.

"So, are you saying that you regret sparing me?", Anna asked, a hint of hurt in her voice.

"No! Of course not. My only regrets are that I had to fight you in the first place and that we didn't meet under different circumstances. If I could, I would scoop you up into my arms and kiss you, but fate had something different in mind for us. We can't be together, not in this time and place," Elsa defended herself sadly.

"I wish I could be with you too, Elsa. And see, you aren't a monster. You've always had your humanity inside. I just helped you find it again," Anna answered warmly.

"Thank you, Anna," Elsa thanked her warmly as well.

Elsa winced in pain as she put her shirt back on.

"Are you alright?", Anna asked concerned.

"I'm fine, Anna. This way you won't have to look at the scars."

"It's ok, Elsa. I don't mind. I mean, I am sad that you're hurt, but it's not like I think illy of your body because of them. You're still beautiful even with them," Anna sighed, blushing.

"Thank you. You're beautiful too, but you probably should put your shirt back on before you catch a cold," Elsa teased.

Anna blushed again as she put her own shirt back.

"Elsa?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you as well, Anna."


	4. Survival Instincts

**Author's Note: **_I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to go this long without updating. It's just that my work schedule has been murderous. Anways, this is the second to last chapter (besides the epilogue.) There's going to be one more chapter and an epilogue after this. When I finish this story, I think I'll stick to one-shots as with work giving me so many hours lately, I don't have the time or energy to do a multi-chapter story anymore. _

A few peaceful nights passed for Elsa and Anna, but as it always did, the calm before the storm was about to come to an end. Their captor entered where they were being held in their cells. He approached Anna and opened up the door to her cell. "Please, no! I don't want to fight!", she screamed desperately.

"It'll be ok, Anna. Just remember what I taught you about not going easy on your opponent," Elsa tried to reassure the red-head even though she wasn't so sure herself.

The captor just ignored the exchange and lead Anna out into the arena. "Now presenting, the newcomer, Fire Princess, times the Devil Duke, who has 70 winnings under his belt," the captor announced as he pushed Anna into the ring. "No, please! No! No!", she shouted as her feet skidded on the ground from being pushed out of their firmly rooted position. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. She had to face her opponent. He was a short old man with a mustache and peculiar spectacles perched on his nose.

"Little girl, why are you so scared? I'm just a poor frail old man," he feigned harmlessness.

"W-w-who killed 70 people," she stuttered back in response.

"What? Little old me. I couldn't possibly. Those are all lies," he continued taunting.

The captor placed swords in both their hands and Anna's hands shook violently as she stared at the weapon placed into them.

"I don't want to fight!," Anna pleaded the old man.

"And me neither, so let's call a truce," he said playfully.

"Ok," Anna agreed nervously.

"Shake on it," he suggested as he extended out his hand.

She moved forward to shake his hand, but jumped back at the last second when she noticed that he had his sword pointed at her stomach.

"You tricked me!," Anna screeched in disbelief.

"All is fair in love and war, Princess," the Devil Duke chastised matter-of-factly as he tried to aim for a lower spot on her belly. The sword inched ever closer.

Elsa bit her nails nervously. "Please let her be ok," she prayed quietly to herself. Suddenly, the captor entered the cell without Anna and interrupted her thoughts. "Oh God, please, no! Where is she? Where is Anna?", Elsa demanded frantically of the captor.

"Don't worry, she's fine for now," the captor sneered.

Elsa was shocked that he actually talked to her for the first time ever.

"What did you do to her?!," she screamed.

"I haven't done anything to her, but the Devil Duke is another story. She might just be his next disembowelment victim, having her insides skewered out from her belly," he laughed maniacally.

"You bastard! If anything happens to Anna, I'll…." Elsa snarled.

"Oh , something will happen to her either way. You better hope the Duke finishes her off because if he doesn't, you'll have to," the captor interrupted her.

"And if I don't?", Elsa scoffed defiantly.

"Then I should kill her with my own hands and I'll make sure it's the most painful, torturous death possible," he threatened.

"You wouldn't!", she screamed in shock.

"I would. There's no use for gladiators who refuse to fight. If she survives this fight, there are only two choices. Either she dies slowly, painfully, and cruelly by my hands or you can kill her quickly and mercifully with your own hands. It's your choice. Her fate depends on you. Choose wisely, Ice Queen," he warned, before turning heel and leaving the room.

When he was out of sight, Elsa fell to her knees and began sobbing uncontrollably. "Anna, no! Please, no!, " she wailed in a heart-broken tone.

Once again, Anna dodged out of the way just in time. "This fight is never going to end if you just kept dodging me and don't make any strikes," the Duke continued his taunting. Anna knew he was right and she had no other choice, but she wasn't sure that she could take another's life. She wasn't that kind of person. But then, she didn't think of Elsa as that kind of person either, but Elsa had been forced into this position many times before. What would Elsa do? Her beloved Elsa. She had to fight for Elsa, so she could see her again. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of never seeing her beautiful queen again. "Elsa," she whispered softly and sadly. The Duke saw an opening in her moment of weakness and soon the tip of the sword was up against her belly. Frantic, on instinct and panic, she drew her own sword and plunged it into the Duke's forehead before he had time to enter her stomach. The Duke keeled over, dying. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body convulsed on the ground as blood spurted out everywhere, some landing on Anna, who stood their frozen in shock and horror at what she had just done.

"Well, what an interesting turn of events, folks. It looks like newcomer Fire Princess has made her first defeat and it was against the Devil Duke, no less," the announcer observed.

The captor lead the shocked, terrified Anna, who was still covered in the Duke's blood, back into her cell.

"Anna!," Elsa shouted with relief and panic, glad that Anna was still alive, but noticing that Anna was covered in blood.

"Oh no! What have I done? What have I done!", was all Anna could say over and over.

"Anna, are you alright? You're covered in blood," Elsa asked worriedly.

"It's not my blood. I killed someone. I'm a murderer. What have I done? Oh, God, Elsa, please forgive me. What have I done? I'm a murderer. I killed someone. A murderer. Covered in blood. Not my blood. Blood of someone else. What have I done? What have I done? Elsa, please help me! I don't…I don't deserve to live. I'm a horrible person. What have I done? I wish I was dead," Anna wailed.

"No, Anna! Don't say that. You aren't a horrible person. You did what you had to. You had no other choice. Your survival instincts kicked in. It was self-defense. You're the nicest, sweetest person I know. You wouldn't hurt a fly. You're not a murderer, Anna. And you do deserve to live," Elsa reassured the red-head.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," Anna sobbed into Elsa's shoulder as best as she could between the bars separating them from each other.

"It's ok, Anna. I forgive you. You did nothing wrong. You had no other choice, "the blonde gently reassured the other woman as she stroked her hair as best as she could through the bars.

Eventually, Anna tired herself out with her sobbing and fell asleep on her cell floor. Left alone with her thoughts, awake in the sickening silence, Elsa was once again haunted by the memory of the words her captor had told her. She wanted to warn Anna about the threat when she got back, if she got back, but the red-head was so shaken up by her first true battle that Elsa didn't have the heart to tell her when her mind was already in such a fragile and broken state. She didn't want Anna to completely shut down. She had time to tell Anna later. The gladiators weren't usually forced to fight more than one battle a day. She would give Anna as much time as she could possibly be afforded to recover and then tell her the bad news of their impending battle to the death.


	5. The Will to Live

**Author's Note:** _So, here's the last chapter besides the epilogue. The epilogue is already written and Iv'e gone ahead and posted this chapter and the epilogue together in order to not crush your hearts too much as I know I hate sad endings myself. Please read the epilogue. This is not the last you'll see of Elsa and Anna even though it may seem like it at the end of this chapter. I would also like to warn that this chapter includes suicide. I do not support suicide or murder in anyway, in spite of them being included in this story. There is always a way out even when it doesn't seem like it, so please don't kill yourselves. _

Anna awoke to Elsa pacing back and forth in her cell, a frown rooted firmly upon her face. "What's wrong, Elsa?," she asked worried.

"Anna, I," Elsa began, but broke out into wordless sobbing before she could finish.

"Elsa, if it's about my reaction to the battle, I'm still shaken up a little, but I'm fine now, really. You helped me through it," she tried to reassure the blonde. 

"No, Anna, it's not that. It's….while you were fighting the Duke, the captor came in here and told me something terrible."

"What did he tell you?," Anna asked, nervously.

"He…he…said that in our next battle…I'd…I'd…have to k-k-kill you," she sobbed out in utter brokenness.

Anna stared at her in shock, but then said defiantly, "You don't have to listen to him, though. I know you wouldn't hurt me, Elsa."

"But…but…He said if I didn't kill you, he would kill you for me and make it slow and painful," Elsa wept heavily.

Anna blinked at her, stun freezing her face, before responding calmly. "Elsa, I…I don't want to die. But if I have to, I'd rather it be done by your hands, as I know you wouldn't make me suffer and you would, in some odd twisted way, be doing it to protect me because there was no other way."

"But what if there is another way? A way where you don't have to die," Elsa suggested, her own voice still high-strung and panicked.

"And what would that be?", Anna questioned cautiously, a foreboding feeling of dread over-taking her at what Elsa might be considering.

"The captor said he was going to kill you because gladiators who refused to fight were worthless. Even though you killed once, he can't be sure if you'd kill again, given your reluctance and regret. But if you kill twice, then he'll see that you are a worthy gladiator. You can prove yourself."

"I don't understand, Elsa. What does this have to do with the next battle between us?"

"You kill me instead and then you can live, Anna," Elsa answered, softly and sadly.

"Elsa, please, no! I…I couldn't kill you! I love you!," Anna protested, panic and terror rising in her voice.

"We have no choice. One of us has to die and I don't want it to be you, Anna," Elsa responded with regret heavy in her tone.

"But, Elsa...!", Anna began, her tone still raised.

"No "but's", Anna. I love you. I'm in love with you. I can't live without you. I won't live without you," Elsa cut her off, her tone firm, but warm.

"I'm in love with you too, Elsa! I can't live without you either!," Anna wailed back, sobs racking her small frame.

"Anna," Elsa began, but she was interrupted as the captor came in. Both women froze in shock, taken away from their argument. The captor went to Anna's cell first and then to Elsa's and began leading them both to the ring. The dreaded moment was upon them. They would be in a battle to the death, a battle where there was only two ways out, kill or be killed.

The swords were placed in their hands and they were introduced like usual, the crowd cheering enthusiastically. The announcer said something about a rematch, but neither of them really heard much, anticipation and regret drowning out their surroundings. Elsa and Anna lunged at each other, clashing swords. Their hearts beat with dread together as they continuously did nothing but block each other's swords, neither woman willing to strike the other. For how long they went on like that, neither woman knew, but eventually, Anna dropped her sword to the ground and lay down before Elsa.

"Do it please, quickly. I do have one last request though," she said looking up at the Ice Queen, her Ice Queen.

"Anna, I can't, I love you too much to hurt you," Elsa whispered out of strained vocal cords.

"Kiss me, Elsa. That is my dying wish. The only dream I have left unfulfilled. If you give me that, then I can die in peace," Anna said gently, her tone mixed with sorrow.

The queen obliged. She cupped the princess's cheeks with an unrestrained warmth and love that she had never shown to anyone before Anna, even in her pre-gladiator days. Soft lips touched to soft lips as both women closed their eyes and for a brief moment, were at peace. Elsa's mind became hazy to the point where she couldn't even react when she felt Anna's hand tug on her sword, pulling it towards the red-head's own chest. By the time Elsa recovered her senses, it was already too late. The sword was plunged into Anna's chest, blood leaking out of it as tears leek out from Anna's eyes.

"Anna, no!," Elsa screamed in despair as she felt tears begin to wet her own cheeks.

"I love you, Elsa. I'll always love you. Be strong for me," Anna managed to stutter out weakly as she struggled to keep her eyes open, until at last, she lost the battle, her body falling into eternal slumber.

"Please don't leave me, Anna! I love you too! I'll always love you too," Elsa pleaded, though it was already too late. She wiped the tears from the princess's face, which oddly was frozen in a peaceful smile, despite her tragic death. Then, she kissed the lips that she would never feel kissing her back again. When she broke away from the kiss, the thought hit her like being run over by a train. She would never get to kiss Anna again. She would never get to hear Anna's voice again. She would never get to touch Anna again. She would never even get to see Anna again after this battle. Anna likely wouldn't even get a proper burial, her body thrown into some heap somewhere like a pile of garbage. The thought made Elsa indignant with anger. That anger, however, was soon replaced with an over-whelming sense of hopelessness. What good was life if Anna wasn't in it? What did she have to live for? She would just be a lonely and cold-hearted slave forced to kill against her will, with no friends, for the rest of her life. And if she dare try to make more friends, they'd only end up like Anna, dead because of her. It was all her fault. Elsa couldn't bear the pain anymore. She couldn't bear the thought of being alone, of being without Anna. "Wait for me, Anna. We'll meet again. We couldn't be together in this life, but maybe in the next," she whispered sadly. The Ice Queen pulled her blade out of the Fire Princess's chest and plunged it through her own chest, tears streaming down her face, but a forlorn smile on her lips, as the spectators watched in confusion. With the last of her strength, the dying queen managed to lie herself down next to the princess and wrap the red-head in an embrace, holding onto her Anna as her breathing gradually slowed until it finally stopped altogether, joining her lover in eternal slumber.


	6. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**_ So, this is the end of the story. This was posted with chapter 5, so if you haven't read chapter 5 already, please read that first. This chapter is focused heavily on reincarnation for those that may be confused by the sudden change to the modern-day. Thanks so much to everyone for reading this. I had a lot of fun writing it. _

_Modern day. New York City. Somewhere in an abandoned alleyway. _

Elsa was only slightly regretting her decision to leave the Halloween costume party she had attended alone at such late hours into the night. Or did it count as the morning? It was around 3am and she really wasn't sure. Her nerves were starting to get the best of her and she instinctively grabbed for the halter which contained her sword. She had gone to the party dressed as a gladiator, complete with toga and all, the sword part of her costume. However, it wasn't a mere ornament. It was a real sword and she knew quite well how to use it. She had been taking fencing lessons since she was child, although even the very first time she had used a sword, it was like she was a natural, as if she had used a sword her whole life, though neither her nor her family knew why. They just shrugged it off as a talent she was born with. Although Elsa had cut through this alleyway many times during the daylight hours, as it was a short-cut to get to the apartment where she lived, she worried if it was really such a wise decision to come here all alone at such an ungodly hour. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a woman's scream coming from the other side of the alley. Against her better judgment, she ran towards the scream, rather than away from it, drawing her sword as she ran.

A red-headed young woman, who only looked to be slightly younger than herself, no more than 3 years at most, was surrounded by a group of men. "Come on. A pretty girl like you deserves attention. You know you want it," an ugly muscular man covered in scars all over his face, who appeared to be the leader of the group, snarled seductively at the trapped red-head, lust and violence filling his eyes. The girl flinched away and shook violently.

"Please, no!" Anna screamed.

Elsa had seen enough. She emerged from where she was silently watching in the shadows and lunging at the man, screamed, "Leave her alone!"

All the men jumped back in shock. Elsa had no idea why she was protecting this young woman, this stranger who she didn't even know, but for some reason, she felt drawn to the red-head, as if they were long-lost friends, perhaps even more than friends. The feeling was over-whelming, causing the blonde's protective instincts to kick in. Before she knew it, she had stabbed out both of the gang leader's eyes, making him blind. Angered and filled with vengeance for their leader, the other men challenged her, until she took them down one by one, cutting one's wrist off, another's ear off, stabbed another in the shoulder, and caused the last two to run away with their tails between their legs, like the disgusting mongrels they were. Meanwhile, the men she had injured, including the leader who was helped up by the others, scrambled quickly away to tend to their wounds.

"Are you alright?", Elsa questioned the red-head, concerned, once all the men were gone.

"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me. That was amazing. You were amazing," the red-head stuttered out nervously, blushing.

"You're welcome. And may I have the pleasure of knowing the name of the person who I saved? A person who's quite beautiful, I might add. My name is Elsa, by the way," Elsa introduced herself.

"I….Thank you. You're quite beautiful as well and Elsa is a very pretty name. My name is Anna," the red-head answered, still blushing.

"Anna. Your name is lovely as well," Elsa responded, letting the name roll off of her tongue. The name sounded oddly familiar and filled her with unexplainable warmth.

"Thank you and thank you again for saving me," Anna said gratefully.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I saved you. I know I was here because I had just gotten home from a party, but what were you doing out in an alleyway at this hour anyway, Anna?", Elsa questioned curiously.

"I had just broken up with my boyfriend, Kristoff, and couldn't sleep. I decided to take a walk to clear my head. In hindsight, it probably wasn't such a good idea to choose the alleyway behind my apartment complex to walk through at this time of night," Anna admitted, blushing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Anna," Elsa answered apologetically.

"Don't be. Kristoff and I have been having problems for months. We just finally had enough. We never would've worked out. Besides, if we weren't broken up and I hadn't walked through this alley, then I never would've met you," Anna confessed.

Now it was Elsa's turn to blush. "I'm glad I met you too, Anna. You said you live in the apartment complex that's in front of this alleyway, right? That wouldn't happen to be the Arendelle apartment complex, would it?"

"Yes. Why?," Anna answered, a little confused.

"I live there too. Would you like me to walk you home? Walking together would be safer than walking alone, especially when one of us is a master swordswoman," Elsa suggested, throwing the last part in teasingly.

Anna giggled. "I'd love it if you'd walk me home. I wouldn't know how to repay you though, for that, and for saving me."

"There's this exhibit about gladiators at the Natural History Museum right now. I was thinking about going to it. I don't' know why. But I've always felt an interest in gladiators, like I could relate to them, had some kind of kinship with them maybe even, and of course felt sorry for the suffering they had to go through. I think it would be more fun to go with company than alone," Elsa invited Anna, smiling warmly at the other woman.

"I'd love to go, Elsa. I've always felt the same about gladiators and never knew why. That could be fun and it could even be like our first date," Anna suggested nervously.

"A date? I like the sound of that. So, it's settled then. Our first date is tomorrow. I'll pick you up at the front of the complex," Elsa consented happily.

The next day, Elsa and Anna met just like they said and went to the museum. They admired the encased togas, helmets, and swords on display together, Anna grabbing Elsa's hand to grasp it in her own. "This is lovely, Elsa. I'm having so much fun. It's interesting reading about what gladiators used these outfits, helmets, and swords in each battle. Some of their titles seem oddly familiar too, like the Devil Duke and the Dark Prince. Oh, but I'm really drawn to the Fire Princess and the Ice Queen's story. It's such a tragic tale. And the odd thing is that the drawings of them resemble us so much. What do you think, Elsa?", Anna rambled on in excitement.

"Perhaps, but it's probably just coincidence, Anna," Elsa laughed at her new girlfriend's enthusiasm.

"But wouldn't it be so romantic," Anna protested, earning her an eye-roll from Elsa.

"Come on, Anna. The movie's going to start soon. We have to get into the Imax," Elsa tried to coax the red-head away from the artifacts and her over-active imagination. Anna nodded and the two women headed into the theater to watch the documentary on gladiators.

"Did you like it, Elsa?", Anna questioned after the movie was over.

"I don't know. It all seemed oddly familiar somehow, as if I had been there, but that makes no sense," Elsa admitted.

"It makes sense to me. Maybe you could've been a gladiator in a past life, Elsa. I felt the same, so I might've been one too. We may have even been gladiators together," Anna said enthusiastically.

"Really, Anna? Past lives and gladiators? You really do have an over-active imagination," Elsa teased.

"Well, if you plan on staying with me and continuing this relationship, you better get used to it," Anna answered back, smugly.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Elsa clarified warmly as she wrapped Anna up in a warm embrace.

Soon, they left the theater and went to the gift shop where Elsa bought herself a replicate gladiator sword. It happened to be the replicate of the Ice Queen's sword, which she felt drawn to for some reason. She also bought a replica of the Fire Princess's sword as well, as that sword also had a strong pull towards her. Anna was carrying around a huge hard-cover National Geographic book on gladiators and ridiculously adorable mini-plushies of gladiators, one who happened to be a chibified replica of the Fire Princess and the other a chibified replica of the Ice Queen.

Elsa sighed in exasperation, but then smiled fondly. She took the dolls and book from Anna's hands, earning her a questioning look.

"I'll pay for them," she explained.

"Elsa, you don't have to, really. I was going to buy them myself. I don't mind, really," Anna protested.

"What? Am I not allowed to buy my own date a present?", Elsa feigned hurt with a hint of teasing cracking in through her tone.

With that, the argument was won and Elsa had bought all of Anna's items as well as her own swords. They left the gift shop and the museum and began heading home to their apartment complex.

"Elsa?"

"Yes, Anna."

"I think I'm falling you for," Anna admitted.

"I think I've already fallen for you," Elsa answered back.

The two women stared at each other fondly and then kissed each other softly and loving on the lips.

"I could get used to this," Anna gasped when they broke away from the kiss.

"Me too," Elsa responded, fondly.

Elsa and Anna just knew in that moment, that even though they had just met, even if it felt like they had known each other before, that they would spend the rest of their lives together and never be apart. 


End file.
